Abandoned Places

There's no official statistic proving it, but Connecticut might just lead the nation in supposedly haunted and abandoned mental health facilities. Here's another one, this time in the heart of the state, just off the Berlin Turnpike.

One of the most renowned damned places in Connecticut is the abandoned—and allegedly cursed—village of Dudleytown. Over the years, there has allegedly been everything from suicides to demonic possessions, ghostly spirits to dreadful feelings, and all the hysterical drama in between. In short, it has become the Connecticut damnation destination.

For more than 60 years, Fairfield Hills State Hospital in Newtown was home to the mentally ill. After it was closed, it sat empty and abandoned, holding the dark secrets of its troubled residents who were long gone. Or so everyone wanted to believe.

We've all seen it while driving along either Route 8 or I-84 through Waterbury: the huge corss high atop Pine Hill. Many already know about it, but the 50-foot high cross marks the spot that was once Holy Land USA.

One of the lesser-known sites in Connecticut is the Little Genesee Settlement. Genesee is a dual curiosity—an abandoned Colonial-era settlement and potentially an astronomical calendar or spiritual complex of sorts.

For a number of decades, the former popular destination that was Pleasure Beach was a ghost town, slowly rotting away. In 2014, the city of Bridgeport finally got around to cleaning it up and providing public access.

In its heyday, the Mansfield Training Center was one of the busiest mental health facilities in the state. Now some believe the buildings that remain are still busy—with the spirits of patients long gone.

Once a children's hospital, and later a facility for the mentally challenged, Seaside Sanatorium in Waterford has been abandoned for over a decade, despite its architectural pedigree and prime location. Update: We visited Seaside in April 2011.

During its heyday, the Sterling Opera House had its share of famous entertainers visiting and fat ladies singing. Now it's gaining a reputation for ghostly spirits haunting. Update: We visit the Sterling Opera House to see if Andy wants to come out and play ...